Saturday, 31 March 2018

I live at Glen Oaks Ridge in Sarasota FL.It is a deeded 55+ development (blah!) which means that in the case of joint ownership at least one owner should be aged 55 or above; and single owners must be at least 55 years old.

Photo' from the web.

All well and good I suppose, except that in 55+ developments we never hear the important voices of children making noise (delightful noise!)

That's until "Spring Break" when children come here to visit Grandma and/or Grandpa.

This is a spring break week. The joyful sound of children as they play in our streets is a balm for me and for my dog.

Friday, 30 March 2018

Passover and Easter are on the same weekend this year.Today (30th March 2018) in the late afternoon, Rabbi Michael Shefrin was out and about walking his dog Goliath.So was the Revd. J. Michael Povey, with his dog Zion."Happy Easter" cried out the Rabbi."Happy Passover" I replied.Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is when brothers dwell together in unity. (Psalm 133:1)

The cross must be raised again at the center of the marketplace as well as on the steeple of the church. I am claiming that Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles, but on a cross between two thieves; on the town garbage heap, at a crossroads so cosmopolitan they had to write His title in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. At the kind of place where cynics talk smut, and thieves curse, and soldiers gamble, because that is where He died and that is what he died about and that is where churchmen ought to be and what churchmen should be about.

George MacLeod on Where Jesus Died

AND, sitting down, they watched Him there,The soldiers did; There, while they played with dice,He made His Sacrifice, And died upon the Cross to rid God's world of sin. He was a gambler too, my Christ,He took His life and threwIt for a world redeemed.And ere His agony was done, Before the weltering sun went down,Crowning that day with its crimson crown, He knew that He had won.Geoffrey A Studdert Kennedy.

Thursday, 29 March 2018

NOT ME. Rather it's Mr. Perfect whose had a few accidents inside because of diarrhea.He's woken me up a couple of times and we've gone outside in the middle of the night. But when my sleep has been deep he's been unable to alert me and has had in house poop -fests.Of course I have not chastised him, or even remonstrated with him.I took a sample to my Veterinarian today. Analysis showed no major problems, but some "bacterial anomalies". Unfortunately the vet cannot follow through until April 16th.--------------------------------------------------------------------Mr. Perfect had his beauty enhanced today. We were at the Groomers for a de-shedding and a bath. He looks gorgeous (Mr Perfect, NOT the Groomer!).I mentioned the poop problem. The groomer asked me what anti-flea chew-able med I was giving my dog.I told him that it is Nex-Gard. The Groomer said that (particularly in the case of retrievers and retriever mixes) he had encountered other canines who had reacted shittily to Nex-Gard.--------------------------------------------------------------------------

I went to the Nex-Gard website, and sure enough I found this advisory.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION:

Reported side effects include vomiting,itching, diarrhea, lethargy and lack of appetite.

Poor Mr. Z. The medication his Vet recommended to deal with fleas has most likely had a nasty effect on his bowels, (and he has been itching mightily).He's on a restricted diet (no kibble) of brown rice, sweet potato, fat-free chicken. low fat cottage cheese etc until his bowels return to normal.Unless I am mistaken one of the ingredients is a pesticide. Wow, fancy marketing a product which allows a dog to ingest a pesticide.---------------------------------------------------------------------------P.S. So many people and dogs out walking tonight on our quiet and dead end street. (March 29th, 8:00 p.m.). Five dogs and at least fifteen people. A woman driving car oh so wonderfully slowly called out "is this a parade?"Well, not a parade, but a pleasant neighbourhood where most people like most people.

Tuesday, 27 March 2018

I encountered a beautiful dog as I walked in Arlington Park, Sarasota today. It was an Afghan Hound.

Stock photo' (not the dog I met)

The dog I met is twelve years old, is a bit skinny, and walks cautiously because of his arthritis. I asked the owner about shedding and learned that these beautiful beasts do not shed.When I told her that "Mr Perfect" is in full shedding mode she told me about a product called the "Furminator", good, she alleged, for canine shedding.There is no good reason to take the advice of a non-shedding dog owner about an enthusiastic fur-shedder (Mr Perfect), but I did!Later in the day I met my pal John C as he was walking his two super black Labrador retrievers. I told him about Mr. Perfect's shedding issue. He told me that his two dogs shed a lot, and that I should buy a Furminator.So now I have one. But there is a problem. It is sold in one of these ghastly "clamshell" containers. Ugh!

Clamshells are horrid, unnecessary, and bad for our Mother Earth (the only Planet we have).(The Clerk at the Pet Store wanted to place this Clamshell into a plastic carrying bag, not because she is thoughtless, but because she has to obey Corporate Rules.)

Clamshells are not only unnecessary, they may well also be dangerous:

My Furminator Clamshell included this message from the State of California viz: " This product can expose you to chemicals including styrene, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer"

Just say no to plastics as often as you can.If you celebrate the Easter "resurrection" (this Sunday in the Western Church), please also work for the renewal of Planet Earth.After all your children and grandchildren may or may not inherit the so-called perfection of heaven.But they are sure to inherit the ecological/environmental hell on earth which is inevitable.

About Me

I am from a blue collar background in Bristol, England, and was educated in the days of the 11+ system.
I am one of nine children. My eight siblings live in England.
After school I was first a banker; then a seminarian; then an Episcopal Priest.
I trained for ordained ministry at St. John's College, Nottingham, U.K; and the University of Nottingham from which I was graduated with the degree Bachelor in Theology.
I had 30 years of parish ministry in Massachusetts. (Fitchburg, Chicopee, Pittsfield and Cambridge).
Now retired, I live in Sarasota, FL.
My mantra: - "There is no secular world".